Automatic egg boiler



Oct. 21, 1980.

H. G. DRYSDALE AUTOMATIC Eee oILER Filed Dec.

,Patented Oct. 21, 1930 HABOLIQ GEORGE DBYSDALE, OF BROKLYN, NEW YORKAUTOMATIC EGG' BOILEB Application flled December 24, 1928. *Serial No.328,229.

This invention pertains to automatic eggboilers, its object being toprovide means for accurately timing eggs to be boiled' and forautomatically taking the same out of the boiling water after having beenimmersed for a predetermined period of time for which 'the device hasbeen set. v

This object, in the present invention, is attained by incorporatingwith. the water-containerasuitable timing device andby associating withit 'a' movable tray provided with means for actuating the said .timingdevice by the,insertion of the tray into the container, imeans forholding the tray in the immersed position during the operation of thetiming device, and means for releasing and expelling the tray after thetiming period.

The timing device consists of a spiralspringl which through a train ofgears acts on a padlle rotating in the water within the contai er. Thedevice is set bywinding the said spring by means of pushing the traydown into the container, the amount of unwinding before the release ofthe t'ray being 35 governed by'the angular displacement given to thetray before insertion. The insertion of the tray takes place against theupward .pressure of a spring, and the tray is held by a latch afterbeing` pushed into`.boiling position. Itremains in this position-until acam piece carried by thedrive wheel of the gear train engages and tripsthe latch, thereby rep leasing the tray annermitting .the lifting springto expel the same.

In the accompanying draw1ngs,- Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of theautomatic egg-boiler and Fig. 2 vis a top view of the same, partlybroken away to show the arrangement of the tray and the nlan view '40 ofthe timinx device.

Referring to the drawings, 10 is the watercontainer having the insidecasing 11, the perforated bottom .12 of which forms the base of thetiming device and other stationary parts of the apparatus. 13 is thecover to which, by means of the tube 14, the tray 15 is attached. To thecover, which has the knob 16, is also fastened the tube 17 which isconcentric with tube 14 and in its end carries the nut 18. The tray 15has notches or slots 19 equally spaced around one-half of itscircumference, these slots registering with timegraduations 20 placed at.corresponding points 'of the cover 13. When any one of-the i.graduations 20 is set opposite a registering mark 21 on the handle22 orother part of the container 10, one of the slots 19 reglsters with and,when the,cover is pushed down, engages the Vertical guide-rail 23attached tov casing 11. The slotted half of the circumferenceVVV of tray15 is somewhat smaller in diameter than the solid half, the Shoulders 24thereby formed onv opposite sides of the dividing diameter engaging thestop-plate 25 attached to casing 11 ,and confining the turning range 05e position after being forced into the container against the pressure ofthe coil spring 27 placed on the beveled washer 28, within the 'tube 14.The beveled edge of washer 28 guides th'e tube' 14 whenv nearitsdownmost position and accurately centralizes the same.

To the bottom-plate 12 of the casing 11 'is fastened, by the posts 29,the plate 30 to which, in turn, the Vertical guide-tube 31 is aflixed-which' surrounds the'inside tube 17 of the cover-memberand whichcontains the screw v32 formed by a twisted flat strip fit- `ting intothe nut 18 carried by tube 17. The screw 32 is confined by the retainingferrule 33 attached to plate 30 and carries the clutchmember 34.` Theflanges of tube 31 and ferrule 33 are held to'plate 30 by the beveled:washer 35 fastened by the screws 36, this washer constitu-ting the stopfor tube 14 in the boi'ling position of the egg-tray .and also acts asthe'catch for the spring-latch 26, the latter, being bent outward by thebeveled edge of the washer, hooking against the vunder side of thesame.` Between the casing-bottom 12 and the plate 30 is mounted thetiming mechanism which consists of the Vertical main'shaft '37 to thetop of which is fastened the clutch-member 38 engageable With the member34 carried by the screw 32. The downward thrust of screw 32 imparted by'the insertion of the tray engages clutch-member 34 With clutch member38 the under side of which is notched as aratchet to engagespring-washer 39,fr` the bent-down end of which -fits into a holefv of4plate 30 'thus reventing it.-from turning:

en'gagement of latch 26 release of stop-pin 42, wheel 41 commences sprinturn orces down spring 55, thereby engaging with clutch-mem er 38 andcausing it to act as a pawl to the same as the turning of the screw v`32through 'spiral spring 40 one end of which i's anchored to shaft 37while its other end is fastened tomain drive wheel 41 of the timingdevice which -is loose on shaft 37. The washer 39 prevents the.clutch-member 38 from turning backwards and thus holds the spring 40 inthe wound position, thereby driving the wheel 41 which normally is heldstationary, but which is released by the downward movement of thetray-unit. For this purpose, the wheel 41 is provided with a stop-pin 42which, due to an initial engages a small 'up ard extension'43a of theflat spring 43 attached through spacing block .44 to plate 30 until thelower edge of tube 14 'on its immersion presses on post 45 attached .tospring 43 andpassing through a hole in plate 30. Spring 43 is therebyorced down ward and extension 43 in train 46, 47, 48, 49 and 50;thelatter gearbeing loose on -shaft 37 and having fastened to it theclutch-member 51 enga eable with clutchmember 52 forming the hu of thepaddle 53. Spring 43 has the downward pro]ection 54 which passes througha hole in plate 12 and makes contact with the flat spring 55 fastened tothe under side of plate 12 and having its free'end shaped into a fork-56 whichembraces the flange of clutch member 51. When 43 is presseddown by tube 14-, it in clears pin 42, renderthe clutch-members 51 and52, thus connecting paddle 53 with the gear train, this paddle turningin the water, thereby governing the speed of the gears. Hub 52beingloose on shaft 37, is held in position by end-nut 57.*

The cover member'in Fig. lis shown in nearly its lowermost position,with the tube 14 about to engagethe post 45 'of spring 43,

' and the latch 26 held 'in tension by the edge 'of washer 35, ready todrop into, its lookingv position, shown in dotted lines, as soon as thetube 14 comes to rest on washer 35.

The gears are so dimensioned that the main wheel 41 of the timing devicemakes one revolutionin five minutes. There are as many notches or teethin clutch-members 34 and 38 .as the angular spacing of the slots in theedge of tray 15 is contained in 360. With 34 and 38 disengaged, screw 32is 'rel volved through nut18, and for any setting of cover 13 selected,there is a tooth in line to engage4 in elutch-members 34 and 38, and

shaft 37 is therefore always given a com;v

plete turn by inserting the tray; Upon the and the simultaneous tensiongiven to spring 40,

wheel 41 free to rotate, 'driving gear.

`ing water and driven by coverya cam-piece A58'carried by wheel 41',will'trip latch 26'at any one of the timing .sub-divisions after thecompletion of onel halfof a revolution, that is, after 21/2, 3, 31/2,clutch 34, 38 winds the 4, 41/2, orl5 minutes, only one-half of the'timingperiod being subdividedl minutes is deemed the minimum time ofboil- `ing desirable.

. The tripping ofI latch 426``causes the 'trayunit to be raised, due tothe pressure of tainer by allowing escape of steam and ad-` mission ofair.

At the moment of the tripping of latch 26, tube 14 releases its pressureon ost 45,v

allowing spring 43 together with ork 56 of spring 55 to and 52 andpaddle 53 comes to rest. The clock-mechanism'is no longer restrained,andspring 40 will rapidly unwindkuntil wheel 41 raise,thereby declutching51 has revolved to the position in which pin 42 interfering position asOriginally. This rapid' return to 'original condition. providesimmediate availability for subsequent use.

to miiiimize .shock to the mechanism, a coil spring 59 placed around.screw 32--inside of tube 17 and resting-on'washer 60' held near againengages spring 43 which is now in the the bottom of tube 17 is used as ashockabsorb'er, itsupper end engaging with washer 61 attached to theupper end of screw 32.

When compressed, in the uppermost position of the tray-unit, spring59Jexerts pressureson washerl 61 thereby ifting screw 32 and causingdisengagement of clutch-members 34 and 38.

The space between the -paddle 53 and the bottom 62 of thecontainer 10 isreserved for an electric heating unit for boiling the water, the plugfor making the connection with the supply socket. being suit-ablyarranged in the usual manner. This electrical uipm'ent, however, may beomitted 'if it is esired to 'use the automatic egg-boiler in connectionwith 'gas or=other heatig systems.

Havingthus vdescrihed` my invention, I make .the following'claims: 1.'An automatic eg'g-boilercomprising a container partly fiHed withboiling water and having a movable cover; a tray within said containerattached to said cover; and timing means consisting of a spring, a trainof gears, and a paddle suspended in the boilsaid spring through saidgear train; means for actuating said timing means by the insertion ofthe tray into the container; means for holding the said tray in theimmersed position during the timing period; and means operated by thesaid timing gear for releasing and expelling the tray after the elapseof the timing period.

2. An automatic egg-boiler comprising avwater container having a movablecover; a tray within said container attached to said cover a stationaryguide-rail for the insertion of said tray; and a timing device; the.said tray being provided With slots and the said cover havinggraduations corresponding with s id' slots, 'the slots being engageablewith said guide-rail, thereby setting the timing device according, tothe .graduations on the cover; means for .conditioning the timing devicefor timing action by the insertion of the tray into the container; meansfor holding the tray in the imm'ersed position during the timing period;and means for releasing and expelling the tray after'the elapse of thetiming period.

3. An automatic egg-boiler comprising a water-container having a movablecover, a

tray within said contalner attached to sald cover, astationary guiderail within said 'slots correspondin with time-graduations on the coverand a apted to engage with the ,i guide-rail of 'the container-member, atube carryinga fixed nut in engagementwith the screw of the containermember, a spring Iatch adapted to enga e with the container member andtobe trippe by the gear-train of the container, and a shock absorbingspring limiting the upward motion of the cover-member and disengaging';the' clutch-members coupling the spring-winding screw withl the main-HROL'D GEORGE DRYSDALE.

container, and a timing device; the said tray being provided with slots'engageable With said guide-rail; the said movable cover carrying a fixed'nut in engagement with'a turn-^ able screw adapted tocondition thetiming device for timing action; the act of moving the cover and trayinto closing position,along the said guide-rail placing the said screwinto actuating engagement'with the timlng devlce and causing the saidnut to revolve the said screw, thereby winding the sprlng of' thetiminO' device. a

4. n 'automatic egg-boiler comprising a Water-container having'l amovable cover, a' tray within said container attached to said cover, andtiming means including a main shaft, a spiral spring, a train of gearsand a paddle, Within said container; a fixed nut carried by the' movablecover, a turnable screw held by the container, clutch-members attachedto the said screw and to the said lmain shaft of the timing device,clutch memlbers attached to the said gear-train and the said paddle ofthe timing device, and resihent 'connecting means between the' movablecover and one member of each of said two palrs of clutch-members; thedownward motion of the cover engaging the said palrs of clutch- 'membersand the upward motion of the cover disen aging the same.

5. automatic egg-boiler comprising a. stationary container member and amovable cover-member; the containervmember comprising a timing spring, amain shaft, a train of gears, a paddle, a turnable screw, clutch membersbetween the main shaft and the turnable screw, clutch-members between.the gear-train and the paddle, a ide-rail, a guide tube, a retainingferrule or the turnable screw, and a compressible spring; and thecover-member comprising a tray having

